Device for collecting equine urine specimens



Jan. 20, 1953 w. BERRY 2,526,387

DEVICE EUR COLLECTING QUINE URINE SPECIMENS Filed Ju1y 1o, 1951 2srmETs-srmm 1 f4 lNvENToR /5 .3er-Cy,

ATTORNEY Jan. W. BERRY DEVICE FOR COLLECTING EQUINE URINE SPECIMENSFiled July 10. 1951 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR' i )35i/hull? ATTORNEYPatented Jan. 20, i953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR COLLECTINGEQUINE URINE SIECIMENS` 3 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a device forcollecting equine urine specimens.

In some of the States in which there is horse racing, it is thepractice, and sometimes mandatory, to make an urinalysis of the winninghorse of each race, so that if the horse has been drugged or even givena sedative, it will show in the urinalysis, after which an investigationmay be made to determine what penal or exemplary action should be taken.

At present, the common procedure is to have someone connected with thestables wait with a bucket until such time as he can collect a specimenfrom the horse. Also, bags and other receptacles have been tried to beattached to the horse so that it will prevent someones just standingaround waiting for the horse to urinate. Sometimes this takes three orfour hours, particularly if there is some person around the stall; andit may happen that the person waiting will not be present at the time ofthe urination, and the specimen is lost.

An object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a mechanical devicewherein the winning horse may be led in to a stall specially fitted witha sterile receptacle fitted in a special form of tank or container in adrain to receive the specimen; and thus there will be no chance of loss,regardless of whether or not there is an attendant there -at the time ofurination.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a signal meansconnected with the sterile receptacle, so that a light will light up inthe stall and the attendant can see it, even from a, distance, and knowthat he can then go in to the stall and remove the sterile jarcontaining the urine specimen. At the same time, there is a light thatwill light in the office so that, if neces-l sary, the office can notifythe attendant in the stable to collect the specimen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for collectingequine urine specimens, and wherein the upper portion of the device maybe locked and only opened by a special wrench, so that there may be nosubstitutions or any other unethical interference with the specimen.

Still another object of the invention is to provide at least ten ofthese drains all wired to the office, so that as each winner comes infrom, usually, eight races, each one may be put in one of these fittedstalls; while two additional stalls may be so tted for other horses thanthe winners.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnew and novel ar- 2 rangements and combinations of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings, showing a preferred form,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section, showing part of the iloor of a stall anddrain with my improved device for collecting equine urine specimens,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cover for the device,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring installation, and

Fig. 5 is a top plan view, showing the sloping iloor of the stall withthe central drain.

Referring now for the moment to Figs. 1 and 5, there is shown theinwardly sloping oor I of the stall or stable, while centrally of thefloor l is the drain 2. This drain 2 has the outlet 3. The upper portionof the drain 2 is generally made of concrete while the lower portion ofthe drain 2, that is, at the outlet 3, has therein the usual pipe 4.

Fitted Within the drain 2, as may be seen in Fig. l, is a metal tank orhousing 5, which is preferably made of cast iron, although it may bemade.

of bronze, the tank 5 generally being cylindrical in form, with anopening B at the bottom of the tank 5 registering with theaforementioned pipe 4.

The tank 5 is imbedded or tted within the concrete ofthe drain 2 and isprovided with a removable cover 1 that extends flush with the top of thedrain 2. This cover 1 should be relatively strong, and has a centralopening 8 that is fitted with a heavy wire screen 9, which should bestrong enough to withstand the weight of the horse, if he should restone foot on the screen.-

The cover 1, as also may be seen in Fig. 2, has the small nibs or lugsi0, positioned opposite each other, so that the cover l may be grasped,when it is desired to raise the same.

This perforated metal cover l is also fitted with an arm Il tting undera lug lla, to the left of Fig. 1, and the small box-like chamber l2 nearits periphery, as also may be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, into which projectsa threaded arm I3, so that the nut I4 may be fastened therein; and, asmay be seen in Fig. 2, I make this nut I4 a five-sided nut rather thanthe ordinary square nut or hex-nut, so that it will necessitate aspecial wrench to remove the nut i4 and thus lift the cover 'l from thetank 5. In other words,

I have provided a means for locking the cover 1 after it is once inplace, and I have provided a form of lock so that only an authorizedperson with a special wrench can remove the cover 1.

Formed on the under-surface of the cover 1, as may be seen in Fig. 1,and directly under the screen 9, is a funnel-shaped section or portionI5 that merges with the cylindrical lower portion I6.

The purpose ofthis funnel-shaped'portion I5 is so that the urine will bedirected to a sterile jar I1. The jar I1 rests on a plate I8, shown indetail in Fig. 3, which is shortly to be referred to; and this plate I8in turn rests on the lugs I9 formed around the inner periphery of thelower portion of the tank 5.

Referring now more specifically to the plate I8, it will be seen that ithas the outer rirn 20 and the cut-away portions 2 I, leaving the centralportion 22 and the spider arms 23. Also formed on each of the spiderarms 23 may be seen the encompassing lugs. 24- to prevent the jar I1slipping .from its set position.

Thus, it will be seen, as far as the speciiication has. proceeded, thatthe` cover 1 has a centrally screened opening 9, while the plate I8. hasthe central solidportion 22 and the cut-out portions 2I. TheV plate I8.is made in this manner so that any of the overflow from the jar. I1 willreadily flow through the openings 2i inthe lower plate I8 and down in tothe drain pipe 4.

Also, after the jar I1 hasbeen lled and removed, the stall rnay bewashed out with a hose, and the water will run through the screenedopening 9 in the cover 1, and then. thoroughly wash the plate I8 to thuskeep the tank and its cover 1 and. inner` portions clean.

Signalling arrangement opening 2l in the plate I8, soA that the jar I1vmay-rest onthis'upper arm 2E, the strength of this spring arm'ZEbeingsuch that the empty jariI1-will notcompress the arm 25, so thatthere will be no electrical contact formed.

However, when the jar I1 is partially filled, or..

filled, the additional weight of the urine will cause the spring arm 25to contact with the arm 21, thus closing a circuit to light the signallamps,

as will be mentioned shortly.

Also in'Fig. l, there may be-seen the metal conduit 28 that will beplaced in the ground so that the lead-in wires a and b may be connectedwith the switch box 25.

It is to be understood that other forms of switches might be used, orthey might beplaced differently within the tank '5, theV one shown be.ing for the purpose of illustration..

Referring to Fig. 4 for the moment, thereis shown the lead-in wires aand o from a power source; and I have simply shown lights forve stallsand the oirce light, but, as heretofore mentioned in. the specification,inasmuch as there are generally eight races, there will be at leasteight wired drains, and preferably ten.

In the-diagrammatic illustration shown in Fig. 4, from the lead-in wirea there is a switch c, which switch c, it will be remembered, comprisesthe two arms 26 and 21. There is the light d. that may be fastened tothe voutside of astall (not '4 shown), and the light e which is to be inthe oflice. The circuit is then completed through the wire f down to thelead-in b. The additional switches g, h, z' and y' are wired in exactlythe same manner; and a description of one and the light is a descriptionof all.

Thus, when the horse is in any of the stalls and urinates, the extraweight of the jar I1 will light the respective signal lights'on thestall and also in the office.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an attendant with the properwrench may unlock the cover 1, place a sterile jar I1, which has beenkeptin a sterilizer, within the tank 5, and rest it on the plate I8 andone of the spring arms 2B, and thenA lock the cover 1.

After the horse urinates, a light, as heretofore mentioned, will show inthe office and in the stall, and the proper attendant may loosen the nutI4, remove the cover 1, and remove the jar I1, so-that the veterinarianmay makethelurinalysis. The stall may then be washed down with a hose,although any overflow willy have passed throughthe openings 2| in theplate I3. Then another sterile jar may be placed in position, the coverlocked, and the procedure repeated.

In the beginning of the specification, it was mentioned. that thedevicewas especially adaptedfor. racetracks, where specimens had toV be taken.

It will also be understood that it may beused by veterinarians, in astall or. stable. of. their own, where. it is desirable to. make aurinalysis.

of a horse or other animal.`

twillalso. be seen that when used at a race.

track, it will save many hours ofthe grooms or attendants time waitingaround. to collectv a.

specimen.

In some instances the stalls. are lockedbut whether a stall is locked ornot, by locking the.

cover 1, its only possible to removefthe cover.1l with a special wrench.

Finally, it will be understood that I mightuse a diierent form of lockon the cover 1, and I do not wish to be limited to the-form of switch.

mens for analysis, including a tankadapted to` be. located in a stabledrain, a cover for said tank,

said cover having a centrally located screened. opening/a supportingyplate mounted near thebottom of the tank, said plate provided with.

openings around its inner periphery, a sterile Jar, for catching theurine, supported on said plate; the bottom of the said tank providedwith an opening and adapted to beconnected tosaid drain, ywherebyanoverowing of. thejar with urinewill let theexcess urine passthroughsaid openings insaid plate anddown into said drain, togetherwithan electrical switch extending be.- neath said jar, an electricalcircuit having a lamp therein, and saidswitch being depressed to lightsaid lamp when the said jar is lled or partially filled with urine.

2. Ina device for collecting equine urine specimens for analysis,including a tank adapted to `be located in a stable drain, a cover forsaid tank, said cover having a centrally loc-ated screened opening, asupporting plate mounted near the bottom of the tank, said plateprovided with openings around its inner periphery, a sterile jar, forcatching the urine, supported on said plate; the bottom of the said tankprovided with an opening and adapted to be connected to said drain,whereby an overflowing of the jar with urine will let the excess urinepass through said openings in said plate and down in to lsaid drain;together with an electric circuit having two lamps therein, one adaptedto be placed in a stall and the other adapted to be placed in an office,an electric switch in the circuit, and the said switch being actuated bysaid urine jar when the same is lled or partially filled with urine.

3. In a device for collecting equine urine specimens for anlysis,including a removable sterile iar for catching the urine, said jaradapted to be located in a drain of a stall; electrical means, includinga circuit, a lamp and a switch, the said switch closing the circuit whensaid jar is lled .or partially lled with urine; and means for lockingthe jar against unauthorized removal.

WILLIAM BERRY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

